Superman: Unbound
The machine is coming
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Movie Details
Superman Unbound
This animated direct-to-video superhero film is an animated direct-to-video version of the 2008 comic book story “Superman: Brainiac”. It was directed and written by Bob Goodman. It is the 16th instalment of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies Series. It is a standalone feature that can be used as such, but it has been seen as a loose sequel.Superman/Batman: ApocalypseDue to Supergirl’s inclusion as the main character, and the mention of her recent arrival on Earth months earlier, this film is deemed to be a success. A sneak preview of the film was also included. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2 And Injustice: Gods Among Us.
Plot
Lois Lane offers herself as a hostage and is soon caught up in an aerial battle between her terrorist captors and the unpredictable Supergirl. Superman saves the day. Lois learns the civilian identity of Superman and attempts to convince Clark Kent to openly admit their relationship. However, their argument is stopped by a Daily Planet staff meeting. Kent was alerted to an approaching meteor. Superman intercepts it and learns that the meteor is actually an alien robot. He defeats it quickly before activating the beacon and taking the meteor to the Fortress of Solitude. Superman discovers that the robot is controlled by Brainiac, an alien scientist from Colua. He has been subject to numerous motor, skeletal, and cybernetic enhancements. This transformed him from a thin, human-like, hairless being to a giant with red eyes and computer-like components. His physical abilities are comparable to Superman’s. Supergirl is horrified to see Brainiac and shares her experiences with the monster. Brainiac took control of Kandor, Krypton’s capital. Her father and mother tried to find him before mysteriously losing contact with Krypton. She is now concerned that Brainiac might do the same to the rest of the world as he did to Kandor.
Superman flew through space with a Kryptonian spacecraft to try and track Brainiac down before he found his drones attacking a planet. Superman attempts to stop them, but Superman sees Brainiac take the planet’s capital, just like Kandor. Then he fires a Solar Aggressor missile at the planet to destroy it. Superman is knocked unconscious by the blast and is taken aboard Brainiac’s skull-shaped, tentacled vessel. He fights his way through the vessel before finding a room filled with bottled cities. Brainiac then attacks him. Brainiac confirms that he saved Krypton due to its eventual destruction. He then discovers that Brainiac has been gathering information about all planets that he visited and uploading it into the neural core of his brain before attacking them. Brainiac finds out that he is living on Earth using Superman’s spacecraft, his telepathic abilities and Superman’s spacecraft. Brainiac charts a course to Earth and sends Superman into Kandor. Superman finds his aunt Alura and uncle Zor-El in Kandor as his strength is waning under the artificial red sun. They explain that Brainiac was given instructions to discover all there is about the galaxy. Brainiac, a cyborg, took the directive literally and realized that life is constantly changing. As soon as he moved to another world, his knowledge of the first world would be out-of-date. Brainiac destroys civilizations by studying them until they can’t be changed further. This leaves him with almost complete and up-to-date knowledge.
Superman devises a plan to escape Kandor by using the subjugator robotics. Superman then disables Brainiac’s ship and brings Kandor back to Earth. Lois discovers from Supergirl why Superman has left. She alerts the Pentagon about a possible invasion of Brainiac and repairs her ship. Superman arrives in Metropolis.
Supergirl and Superman are both captured, despite everyone trying to stop him. Brainiac has hooked Superman up with his ship and tortured him by overloading his brain with data in order to get Kandor. He then attempts to destroy the planet. Superman tells his captor about Earth, and he frees Supergirl. She convinces him to stop the Solar Aggressor from hitting the sun. Superman remembers Zor-El’s words regarding Brainiac’s ideals and knocks him from the ship. They crash into a swamp. Superman forces Brainiac to live in the chaos outside the safe and artificial environment he created. Brainiac eventually succumbs to the combination of mental and physical strain, and he combusts. Superman proposes to Lois Kent, his love for Metropolis and Kandor, to another Kryptonian planet to rebuild it.
The glow from the Fortress of Solitude reflects Brainiac’s remaining remains, which are shown in the credits. This indicates that Brainiac still retains some of his power.
Cast
- Matt Bomer as Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman
- Stana Katic and Lois Lane
- John Noble is a Brainiac
- Molly Quinn portrays Kara Zor-El/Supergirl
- Diedrich Bader is Steve Lombard
- Alexander Gould is Jimmy Olsen
- Frances Conroy is Martha Kent
- Stephen Root is Zor-El
- Jason Beghe, Terrorist Leader
- Sirena Irwin is Alura
- Perry White by Wade Williams
- Melissa Disney is Thara Ak-Var
- Ron Troupe as Michael-Leon Wooley
- Will Yun Lee, Para soldier leader
- Ian James Corlett is Kryptonian #1
- Andrea Romano as News Anchor #2, Superman’s Ship
